The Face Of Evil Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat Patrol is sent out to rescue a prisoner from a particularly nasty Gestapo officer.
1. Chapter 1

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"This is Colonel Brett Walker." Captain Boggs placed a photo on the table in front of him. "A few days ago Col. Walker was captured while on his way back from a high level meeting of commanders in North Africa." The captain looked across the table at the four men crowded around the other side. "Colonel Walker is the head of the Eighth, just recently appointed."

Sargent Sam Troy raised an eyebrow at the news. The others exchanged glances before looking to the captain again.

"This is Colonel Max Berndt. Head of the Gestapo in this area."

"We've heard of him." Troy remarked dryly. Although they tried to avoid the Gestapo, they had all heard the stories of their practices.

"Be careful of him Sargent. From what I've heard, the guy is pure evil. You can't bargain with him, he just can't be trusted. He'd sell his own mother to get what he wants." The captain cautioned his commando team. "This guy is supposed to be the best interrogator they have currently in North Africa."

Troy nodded to indicate that he was taking the warning seriously.

Moffitt was studying the pictures. "So this Colonel Berndt has Colonel Walker?"

"Not yet." Capt. Boggs answered with a sigh. "According to our sources, the Germans tried to get him to talk on their own. So far he hasn't said anything. Berlin ordered him sent to Colonel Berndt. He is supposed to arrive sometime tomorrow under heavy guard. They have orders to kill him if it looks like he may be rescued."

The British sargent looked up quickly. "Is that a real possibility?"

"We think so. You're going to have to keep that in mind when you make your plans."

"Do we know where Colonel Berndt is currently stationed?" Troy brought the conversation back to the map.

Boggs moved the pictures aside to point at a spot on the map. "According to our sources, he has a base right about here. Heavily guarded and out in the open. They didn't leave much around to give you cover and the local Arabs seem to be working with him. They don't talk to any strangers, even other Arabs, about the camp."

"He could be threatening their families." Moffitt suggested.

Boggs nodded. "That may be Sargent, but that's not our concern. The only person that should concern you is Colonel Walker. And as a means to reach him, Colonel Berndt."

"Nothing to worry about except facing evil in the flesh." Mark Hitchcock muttered under his breath.

"Exactly Private."

Mark blushed at the realization that he had spoken his thoughts out loud. Troy threw him a look that told him to keep his thoughts to himself. Hitch nodded that he understood and stepped back a pace.

"So just what do you want us to do Captain?" Troy tried to get the meeting back on track.

The captain wiggled his eyebrows in frustration. "What you do best Sargent, get the job done. The brass doesn't care how, just do it." He paused to take another look at the four men, as if memorizing their faces. "This may be one of the toughest missions that I've ever given you. I told the General, and he agreed, that you were the best men for the job. IF you can't do it, no one can. We need you to go out there and prove us right."

Troy bit his lip and nodded. "We'll do our best Captain."

"That's all we ask Sargent."

"I guess if we're going to get the Colonel back before the Gestapo messes him up too bad, we'd better get moving." The sargent picked up the mission packet and the photos. His men straightened behind him and waited for him to issue orders.

"Tully go make sure the jeeps are ready. Load up on supplies. Extra food, blankets and medical supplies…. Hitch, get plenty of ammo and stock up on explosives. Anything you think we might be able to use. Moffitt, we need to go over the maps and see if there are any locals that you know who may be willing to talk to us. Find a good base to work from and figure out a way to get close."

All three men nodded and the privates rushed from the tent to complete their assigned tasks. Moffitt and Troy held back when the captain called to them. They both turned back to face them.

"If you can't get the Colonel out, your orders are to make sure that he doesn't talk. The information he has is too valuable."

"Yes Sir." They responded in unison. It was not an order they enjoyed hearing, but knowing the Gestapo, one they clearly understood.

"Good luck!" the captain called in a low, worried voice as they left his tent.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"I count between thirty-five and forty men. There could be more out on patrol right now." Jack Moffitt held the field glasses to his eyes and studied the base that the Gestapo was using.

"I can't believe that they actually built a stone wall all around the place. Out here in the middle of nowhere, they must have hauled all the stone here special." Troy studied the base with his own glasses.

"According to the maps, there's a well located here, small but enough for their needs." They were looking at an enclosure surrounded by ea tall stone wall, one stone building, obviously the headquarters building, and a collection of tents.

"What's that out along the road in front of the gate?" Mark Hitchcock lay beside the sergeants studying the layout of the base too.

Moffitt swung his glasses to where Hitch indicated and swore. Troy looked too but he didn't say a word. He stared at the sight with a cold look on his face.

"It looks like the Colonel wants everyone entering the base to see his handiwork. I can only assume that those poor chaps are some of his earlier subjects." Moffitts usually cheery tone was frigid. His eyes scanned the wooden crosses on either side of the road. The broken, blackened bodies showed obvious signs of decomposition. "They've been there for several days at least. The sun has done its work on the bodies."

"You don't think they were alive when they put them up there, do you?" Hitch tried hard to keep his voice level. It was a good thing he hadn't eaten in a couple of hours because he suddenly felt sick.

Moffitt gave him a sympathetic look. "I doubt it Hitch. They most likely died under interrogation. Take a deep breath Hitch and let it out slow."

Hitch did what he was told and he kept his eyes averted from the crosses. "That Colonel is sick." He declared between breaths.

"Go tell Tully to come up here. You keep an eye on the jeeps." Troy didn't look at his young driver as he spoke. Embarrassing the young soldier was not something he wanted to do. "And Hitch," he kept his eyes on the base, "keep your eyes open. We don't want to get surprised and end up as the Colonels guests."

"Right Sarge." The blond answered quickly. He slid backwards carefully until he could stand without being seen from the base and hurried toward the jeeps.

Tully heard him coming but he didn't turn to meet him right away. His eyes were following some dust in the distance. When he did look up he was surprised to see that his fellow driver looked a little green.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Hitch nodded. "Sarge wants to see you."

Tully nodded but hesitated, concerned. "Are you sure you're okay Hitch?"

"Yeah." Hitch nodded again. "It's just that that Colonel is such a sick freak. It kinda turned my stomach. I hope we get to finish this guy." He added with feeling.

"Don't worry, Sarge will do whatever needs to be done." He grinned but Hitch still looked sick. "I'd better go see Sarge. Keep your eye on that dust, it looks like it's getting closer." He left the blond watching the dust while he went to tell the sergents about it.

Troy half turned as Tully crawled up next to him.

"Hey Sarge. We may have company coming. There's a dust trail that looks like it may be headed this way." He pointed toward the tell-tale spiral of dust that he had been watching.

Troy turned his glasses to watch the spiral. He shaded the lenses to prevent any glare or reflection that might give them away. "Is Hitch alright?"

"He looks a little green. What has him so upset?"

"In front of the gates next to the road." Troy didn't look at Tully as he followed the directions with his eyes.

"I agree with Hitch." Was his only comment.

"About what Tully?" Moffitt ask in confusion.

"That Colonel is one sick freak and we need to put an end to him."

"Colonel Walker is our main concern, anything else is a bonus." Troy cut in dryly.

"Don't we have a bonus coming?" Tully ask hopefully.

"Could be Tully, could be." Was all Troy would say on the matter. "Let's get off this hill. That dust is definitely headed this way. We may need to move and cover our tracks. We don't want them to know we're here just yet."

"Perhaps I could stay and watch the base for the Colonels arrival. You could cover my tracks and pull out. I doubt that they'll spot one lone man without any visible means of transportation." Moffitt was still watching the base through his glasses. "It would be nice to know that the Colonel is actually there before we go in." He smiled at Troy and shrugged.

"Okay Moffitt." Troy agreed. "Just don't get caught. Like I said, we don't want to end up guests of the Colonel."

"Right Troy." Moffitt agreed with a shiver. "You be careful too."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"Well?"

"The Colonel arrived right after you left. They took him directly into the building. The soldiers who came with the Colonel were not allowed to get out of their cars. As soon as the Colonel was clear of the back seat his escort was ordered to leave. I don't think we're going to be able to get in that way."

Troy groaned silently. They had found a hiding place and waited an hour to be sure they hadn't been spotted while Moffitt had kept watch. Troy had been hoping for some good news but it wasn't to be.

"They doubled the guards on the gate once the Colonel was inside. It looked to me like they doubled the patrols too. Again, as soon as the Colonel arrived."

"Did you see Colonel Berndt?"

Moffitt nodded. "He met the motorcade personally. He went inside with Colonel Walker."

"Where'd he come from?"

"Out of the building." Moffitt remembered. "It would only make sense that he would have quarters in the building. The junior officers and the soldiers would be housed in the tents." Mofitt glanced at Hitch before he continued. "The interrogation rooms will be in the building too."

The three men had taken the jeeps and circled around to avoid the approaching motorcade. After waiting the hour, they had returned for Moffitt.

"How many guards did they have with the Colonel when they went inside?"

"Four, five if you count Colonel Berndt. Two men on the door of the building. The windows have bars on them too. Not just the cells, all the windows."

Troy frowned, lost in thought, finally glancing up. The sun had crossed the sky while they watched the camp. Now it was dropping behind the mountains in the distance, taking the heat with it. "We need to get Colonel Walker out tonight. It won't do to give them all day tomorrow to work on him."

"I hope you have a plan. It doesn't look like it's going to be easy. Their security is quite tight." Moffitt said his piece and then let Troy to his thoughts. In their rush to avoid the motorcade they had left Moffitt without any water. Now he headed to the jeep to get a drink.

"Let's pull back and go over what we know. There has to be a way in there."

Moffitt had his doubts but Troy had a way of coming up with 'improbable' schemes to do 'impossible' things. Both privates grinned, supremely confident in their leaders ability. Troy frowned and climbed into his jeep, still thinking hard.

They pulled out and made their way back to the wadi where they had hid earlier. Troy wanted to wait until full dark before they tried anything. He ordered a camp set up and a meal prepared. They ate in silence, Troy was still mulling over what they knew about the base. Tully and Hitch packed up while Moffitt stood watch.

"Hitch…make up some packs of explosives. We may need some diversions. Make some big ones and some small ones. Dig out some hand grenades and put them in the packs too."

"Right Sarge!" Hitchcock jumped to his feet to get the packs ready. He'd brought some extra explosives that they didn't usually carry. He made sure to put some of them in his pack too. The timers were added next. He decided that the sargent would want them to get clear before everything actually exploded. Running wires didn't seem like a likelihood on this mission. He left the spools of wires and the plungers in the jeep.

"Tully can we get the jeep in close to the wall?"

Tully chewed on his matchstick thoughtfully. He knew he could get the jeep close, but he wasn't sure he could do it without being spotted. "Do we have to get close to surprise them?"

"No, we just need to get close."

"Sure Sarge. If we come over the top of the wadi we can be on them before they have much time to adjust their aim. What do you have in mind?"

"Hitch." The blond had just returned with his packs. "Can you get close enough to plant those charges around the wall?"

"Inside or outside?"

"Outside."

Hitch thought a minute before nodding. "I think so. Do you want to knock a hole in the wall?"

"I want the wall to break into a thousand pieces and go flying into those tents like bullets. Scatter it all over the interior of the base." Troy looked at his driver. "Can you arrange that?"

The blond smiled widely. "Yeah Sarge, I can do that. It might take me a while. I'm going to have to crawl all the way in and take my time."

Troy grinned and looked up at the dark sky. "We have all night."

Moffitt looked down from his position above the camp to see the others smiling. He allowed himself to hope that Troy had come up with a plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Face Of Evil**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Tully and Moffitt sat in their jeep and waited. Troy and Hitchcock had left nearly three hours before, crawling toward the base. Moffitt had his glasses out watching for a signal from Troy.

"There hasn't been any alarm sounded." Tully spoke and broke the silence.

Moffitt glanced toward his driver. "Am I that easy to read?"

Tully shrugged. "I'm worried too." He rolled his matchstick in his mouth and rubbed his hands over his steering wheel. "We've done this or something like this dozens of times. It never gets any easier."

"You mean attacking a base that has us outnumbered?" Moffitt looked at Tully again, lowering the glasses momentarily.

"Naw, the waiting." Tully drawled.

Moffitt couldn't hide his grin. Just when he thought he knew what tully was going to say, the youth surprised him again.

"Sarge and Hitch know what they're doing. They won't do anything rash and get caught. That's why it's taking so long."

Moffitt was nodding even as he answered. "I know, but you're right, the waiting doesn't get any easier."

Tully smiled at his sargent and sighed. "I'll be glad when it's time to go."

"Even if it means that we're going to turn ourselves into targets?"

"Yep, even then." Tully didn't look up, he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"If something goes wrong Tully, I want you to take care of yourself. Don't try to be a hero and come back. This jeep is our only way out of here." Moffitt looked for the signal again before he turned back to Tully. "We're all going to have to get out on our own. The Colonel is the important one here."

Tully nodded. "That's what everybody keeps saying."

Moffitt heard an odd note in Tullys voice and he tried to see his drivers face. Tully kept his face turned away, giving him no chance to see his expression.

"Troy told Hitch the same thing." The British sargent explained.

"Doesn't surprise me."

Again Moffitt heard the odd note.

"You aren't planning anything, are you Tully?"

"I'm planning on doing my job, just as soon as Sarge gives the signal."

"Tully."

"There it is Sarge. Time to play clay pigeon."The engine roared to life and Tully wheeled the jeep out into the open desert.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Tully and Moffitt raced for the base weaving back and forth. Moffitts gun hammered the guards who tried to defend the wall. The alarm sounded and soldiers jumped from their beds and ran to reinforce the perimeter.

Knowing what Hitch had been doing , Tully stayed clear of the wall. He wanted the Germans out in the open where the flying bits of stone would hit them. They cooperated beautifully.

The blasts detonated all within seconds of one another. The walls exploded inward, sending debris toward the center of the base. The gate remained standing but Tully had no intention of taking his jeep inside the destroyed wall. They wanted their transportation out in the open for a quick getaway.

Moffitts gun had more targets now that the wall was down. Many of them were sprawled where the blast had thrown them, hit by flying rock. Those still on their feet were falling back toward the only building in the compound. Moffitt concentrated on keeping them from the protection of the stone structure.

The Germans had one of those new machine guns, the 32. Light and easy to move, they were setting it up in front of the building. Their steady fire forced Tully to keep moving.

Troy opened fire from inside the wall. Tully could hear the distinctive sound of the American built gun among the chatter of the German weapons. Moffitt jumped from the back of the jeep to help Troy on the inside. The small arms fire was slowing as the defenders fell. Tully stopped his jeep out of range of the small arms and hopped onto the back to take advantage of the longer reach of the 50. He picked off any German he saw headed toward his sergeants.

A flask lit up the pit where the crew had placed the 32. The clatter of machine gun fire stopped abruptly as Hitch tossed a hand grenade in their laps.

Tully targeted a small group of soldiers who had organized and were headed toward the building. They scattered and fell as the heavy slugs found their range.

Someone inside realized that the lights in the compound were making hem better targets. A shout called to the soldiers and shots rang out. The lights went out one by one. In the dark Tully couldn't pick out any targets from the jeep. Jumping to the ground, he grabbed some hand grenades and spare clips and shoved them into a bag. Pulling a machine gun from the holster on the fender, he trotted toward the base to help his friends.

The fight was concentrated around the building in the center of the compound. The soldiers were lying flat on the ground since there was nothing to give them cover. Tully was surprised that they hadn't gone inside for protection.

Even as he thought about it, one of the soldiers jumped to his feet and ran for the door. He twisted the handle frantically before pounding on the door with his fist. There was no answer from inside and the door remained locked. The soldier spun and tried to run but he was cut down. He fell, firing his own weapon toward the ground, hitting two of his fellow defenders.

Tully saw Hitch dart around the corner of the building, a sack in his hands. Hitch knelt next to the side wall and glanced around. His eyes met Tullys and he held the bag up.

Nodding that he understood, Tully gave him covering fire as he packed a charge against the wall. He pressed the timer and began to pull back. A line of bullets splattered the wall above his head. Tully opened fire on the Germans shooting at Hitch, driving them to the ground. Hitch rose to his knees and ducked again as more soldiers attacked from the back corner of the building. Tully saw the blond look around hurriedly before he dove for a metal water barrel. Hitch pushed it over, knocking the lid off. Scurrying on his stomach, Hitch dove head first intothe barrel, pulling as much of his body inside as possible.

The wall blew apart, throwing rocks and debris outward in a wide arc. Tully ducked but he was outside of the arc. He stuck his head up, ready to resume the fight. There was no one left alive to fight. The blast had peppered the Germans with bits of rock flying at the speed of bullets. Their bloody bodies were flung here and there, eyes staring at nothing. Tully was glad it was dark so he wouldn't have to see their blank expressions. They'd been trying to kill Hitch so tully didn't waste any sympathy on them. He looked past them for Hitch and froze. Hitch was still lying head first in the barrel with his legs sticking out. Both legs were peppered by the flying debris. The barrel itself was dented and battered from being hit. Tully called to Hitch but there was no response of any kind. He could see the blood pooling around the barrel. Tully started toward him, prepared for the worst.

"Tully! Tully, can you get a grenade in that window up there?" Moffitt caught Tully in mid-stride. "Throw a grenade through the window."

Tully turned and fished a grenade from his pocket. Pulling the pin, he tossed it in an arc directly into the broken window. He was lucky, it sailed through the bars without bouncing back out.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

Moffitt called to Tully and ask him to toss a grenade through the second floor window. The fire from there was keeping him and Troy pinned down.

He watched the grenade arc up and in and disappear. The explosion blew the bars off the window. Moffitt didn't wait for any survivors to recover. He tossed another grenade at the door and ducked.

Tully ducked when he saw Moffitt pull the pin on another grenade. The wall protected him from blast but not from the rush of air that escaped through the hole that Hitch had blown in the wall. The dust got in his eyes and blinded him momentarily. Blinking his eyes to wash the dust out, Tully failed to see the German soldier dart around the back of the building. The first shot caught him high in the shoulder. Spun around by the impact of the bullet, the second one grazed his head, the third hit him solid in the side.

Moffitt heard the shots and turned to see Tully fall to the ground. Without conscious thought he aimed his gun and fired. The German flew backwards, a row of red dots appearing across his chest.

The firing outside had stopped with the death of the last standing German. Moffitt started toward Tully, dread slowing his step.

"Moffitt!"

The sargent turned reluctantly and followed Sam Troy through the door that they had just blown off its hinges.

The interior of the building was a shambles. The blast from Hitchcocks bomb and the grenade from the door had both done considerable damage. Moffitt squinted through the gloom looking for a doorway to the next room.

Troy rushed forward and pushed a door open, revealing another large room, larger than the office they presently stood in. Moffitt followed Sam through that door and covered him while he checked for any holdouts. The room was empty except for desks and filing cabinets.

"Stairs. There has to be stairs somewhere, maybe even a basement." Moffitt called.

Troy nodded and began opening doors. The first one was a closet. He glanced into the second one and ducked back as a bullet hit the stone by his head. He went low and rushed the stairway, catching the German soldier off guard. The German fired over Troys head while Troys bullet found its mark. The sargent jumped over the body rolling limply down the stairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, he rushed ahead expecting to find more soldiers guarding the top. The upstairs were empty. Realizing that he was in Colonel Berndts quarters, Troy cautiously checked behind the doors, under the bed and in the closet. He was about to turn away when a small scraping sound caught his ear. He turned and fired as Colonel Berndt rushed the door from a small alcove off the side of the bathroom. The bullets stitched across his body, driving him backwards. The grenade in his hand dropped at his feet. Troy dove for cover behind the bed. The explosion rocked the room, sending furniture flying. A heavy chest of drawers fell on top of the sargent, crushing the breath from his body. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Moffitt heard the firing as he crept down the second set of stairs he had discovered. He hadn't met any resistance yet but his nerves were strung as tight as a trip wire. Each foot was placed carefully and quietly as he crept lower and lower into the basement. The coppery smell of blood reached him about halfway down the stairs. The smell of vomit and urine mixed together to make him gag. Moffitt definitely detected the smell of fear. Whether it was his own or that of someone else, he couldn't be sure. Pushing on, he strained to hear any sound from below.

The sounds above him had stopped too. With a start he realized that he didn't know who had won the fight above him. Of the nearly forty soldiers they had counted in the camp, he doubted if many had survived the carnage. He didn't think many of them had taken refuge in the building. It was his guess that Colonel Berndt had locked the door at the first sign of trouble to protect himself, leaving the soldiers outside to die.

Moffitt reached the foot of the stairs and stepped around the partition, ready to duck and roll. Instead he stood frozen at the sight before him.

There were three cells along one wall. Two were occupied. Moffitt fought his rebellious stomach at the sight of the imprisoned men. Neither man seemed to realize that he was even there. There were small mewling sounds coming from one of them. Their wounds were infected and pus oozed onto the filthy floor. Both lay in their own waste. The sargent fought the urge to find Colonel Berndt and strangle him with his bare hands.

The Colonel wasn't in the room, at least not in any of the cells. Moffitt opened two doors to find closets full of tools of torture. A wooden door on the floor finally produced the Colonel. Colonel Walker was sitting in a pit in the floor, filthy water up to his neck. He looked up and blinked his eyes at the light that Moffitt lit to look for him.

"Colonel Walker?"

"You're British." Was the faint reply. There was the faintest sound of hope in the statement.

"Yes Sir. We've come to get you out."

The Colonel bowed his head as far as the water would allow and sobbed quietly. Moffitt left him to collect himself while he crept back up the stairs to find someone to help him pull the Colonel from the pit.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Face Of Evil Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

Jack Moffitt walked into the hospital tent and paused at the sight before him. Mark Hitchcock was propped up in his bed reading a borrowed paperback book out loud. Tully sat propped up in his bed listening while his fingers played with the blanket that covered his lower body. Sam Troy looked like he was sleeping peacefully in the next bed.

Moffitt had emerged from the basement to discover that all the Germans were dead. Bodies lay all around but none were alive to give him any trouble. The initial explosion had sent rock bits flying through the air killing many of the soldiers answering the alarm. The rest had died in the following battle.

He found Troy after nearly tripping over what was left of Colonel Berndt. Some of the heavy furniture had fallen, hitting him in the head. The doctors said he had a concussion but they thought he would recover completely once he regained consciousness.

Tully had a shoulder wound, a hole in his side, and another had clipped his head. He couldn't see, but the doctors had covered his eyes and assured him that his optic nerve just needed some time to heal. The bandages over his eyes kept him from straining his eyes while they rested.

Hitch had crawled over next to Tully and that was where Moffitt found him. He was conscious but in a great deal of pain. The explosion had damaged both of his eardrums leaving him temporarily deaf. The worst part was the bits of rock that had embedded itself in his legs. There were no broken bones but the surgeons had been forced to dig deep for the gravel. He'd lost quite a bit of blood before Moffitt could get it stopped. He'd be laid up for a while until his legs healed and he could walk again.

The two prisoners had been immediately shipped to a better equipped hospital to deal with their many injuries.

In the end, Moffitt had been forced to pull the Colonel out of the pit by himself. Once the Colonel had warmed up he had helped Moffitt get all the others outside to a truck that had somehow survived the attack. They'd hidden the jeeps to retrieve later and then driven straight through to the Allied lines. They hadn't stopped for anything until they pulled up in front of the medical tent.

The whole thing had taken on a dreamlike state for Moffitt. Actually, he admitted to himself, it had become a nightmare.

Reports had been filed, questions had been asked and answered, and now his time was his own to do as he pleased. The first thing he did was visit the hospital. He'd been so tired the first time that he had fallen asleep in the chair next to their beds watching them sleep. Now two of them were awake.

He stepped further into the tent and Hitch caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. Lowering the book, he smiled with genuine pleasure. "Hey Sarge, where have you been?"

Tullys head snapped up as he listened for Moffitts voice.

"Debriefings and meetings. Then I had to file all my reports in triplicate." Moffitt answered before he remembered that Hitch couldn't hear him.

"The paperwork is never done." Tully teased with a smile. "You'd better write Hitch a note though. He's finally got a good excuse for not listening." Tully fumbled around on his bed for a notepad and pencil.

"What are all of these?" Moffitt noticed all the notes crumpled on the foot of the bed.

"Oh that." Tully heard Moffitt unfolding the notes. "Hitch and I were comparing stories. He told me about his injuries and I told him what happened to me. We've been waiting for Sarge to wake up."

"Has he been awake at all yet?"

"No." Tully shook his head. "Hitch has been reading for me and we sort of hoped Sarge could hear him too."

Moffitt nodded as he penned a note to Hitch.

"Hey Sarge."

Moffitt stopped writing to look at Hitchcock. The blond had a very serious expression on his face.

"What happened to those guys on the cross?"

"I sent someone back to retrieve the bodies." He explained to Tully as he wrote it out for Hitch. Hitch read the note but still seemed troubled. Moffitt waited.

Hitch hung his head before he ask the next question. When he looked up there was fire in his eyes. "Did we get him Sarge?"

Moffitt smiled and nodded at Hitch as he answered aloud for Tully. "We got him. His reign of evil is over."

Tully and Hitch both looked relieved.

Moffitt smiled at his friends. "Hear no evil." He nodded at Hitch and covered his ears. "See no evil." He touched Tully lightly on the leg and covered his eyes for Hitch to see. "And speak no evil." He looked at Troy and covered his mouth for Hitchs benefit. "No more evil, at least not with that face."

"Thank heavens!" Tully said with feeling.

Hitch nodded.

And there was a weak but a heart felt 'Amen' from Troy and Moffitt happily wrote Hitch a note to tell him that Troy was awake.


End file.
